New film goes behind the curtains of Grace Jones' glamor

Reuters Staff

2 Min Read

(Reuters) - With her statuesque profile, striking gaze and visually arresting performances, Grace Jones has long been an emblem of high fashion, art and glamorous eccentricity, but a new documentary hopes to shed light on a different side of the pop culture figure through her private life.

FILE PHOTO - Jamaican singer Grace Jones performs with a hula hoop during the Diamond Jubilee concert in front of Buckingham Palace in London June 4, 2012. REUTERS/David Moir

“Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami,” which premiered Thursday at Toronto International Film Festival, follows Jones’ life through her music and her roots in Jamaica, where she was born and raised in her early years.

“I think they (audiences) are just going to see what’s life behind the scenes, other sides of the glamorous,” Jones told Reuters on the red carpet.

“Everyone thinks it’s glamorous but this does show a lot of different sides of also the struggles to ... do what it is you have a vision to do,” she added.

Jones, 69, known for her sharp cheekbones and androgynous look, carved a pioneering career as one of the first black models to grace fashion magazines covers and campaigns for major fashion houses such as Yves Saint Laurent and Kenzo in the 1970s.

She then transitioned to singing, with hits including “Slave to the Rhythm,” was a staple in the 1980s heyday of New York’s club scene and landed acting gigs, most notably in 1985’s James Bond film “A View to Kill.”

The documentary, directed by British filmmaker Sophie Fiennes, will open Oct. 27 in the United Kingdom.